Maintaining Communication Continuity

1. A method comprising: receiving, on a server device, a message from a client electronic device, said message being in a first format configured to be communicated over a first communication channel; modifying, on the server device, the message in the first format to form a message in a second format configured to be communicated over a second communication channel, the message in the second format based upon at least in part, the message in the first format; transmitting, from the server device, the message in the second format over the second communication channel and monitoring the first communication channel to determine if a failure occurs in the first communication channel, wherein said modifying said message from said first to said second format is performed in response to detection of a failure in the first communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including receiving said message in the second format with a recipient device and then modifying the message in the second format to form a transmitted message in the first format, the transmitted message in the first format based upon, at least in part, the message in the second format.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the message in the first format includes receiving the message in the first format from a first messaging application configured to transmit/receive messages in the first format.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including passing the transmitted message to a first messaging application configured to transmit/receive messages in the first format.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein transmitting the message in the second format includes transmitting the message in the second format by a second messaging application configured to transmit/receive messages in the second format.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message in the second format includes determining a recipient network identification for messages in the second format, and transmitting the message in the second format to the recipient network identification.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message in the first format includes an instant message.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message in the first format includes an email.

9. A method comprising: monitoring a first electronic communication channel for failure; upon failure of said first electronic communication channel, converting an electronic message formatted for delivery over said first electronic communication channel to a format for delivery over a second electronic communication channel; transmitting said electronic message via said second electronic communication channel.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising automatically determining an address for a recipient through said second electronic communication channel based on an address specified for said user over said first electronic communication channel.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said automatically determining an address for the recipient through said second electronic communication channel is performed by accessing a contacts list on a client electronic device transmitting said electronic message.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, upon receipt of said message at a recipient device, converting said electronic message back to a format associated with said first electronic communication channel and displaying said message to a user of said recipient device as if the message has been transmitted through said first electronic communication channel.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising exchanging failover preferences with a recipient device prior to a failure in said first electronic communication channel, said failover preferences specifying said second electronic communication channel to be used upon failure of said first electronic communication channel.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising allowing only messages marked as “high priority” or messages from specific organization personnel to be reformatted for delivery over said second electronic communication channel upon a failure in said first electronic communication channel.